Halloween Challenge
by ninajunkie
Summary: These are my two entries into the Halloween Challenge over at dramionedrabble at livejournal.


I entered late into the Halloween Challenge at **dramionedrabble** on livejournal, so I had only written two entries for the challenge.

**Title: **A Ghostly Surprise  
><strong>Rating:<strong> G  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 1,007  
><strong>NotesWarning:** Prompt 6: Ghost/Cemetery/Pixie  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Halloween is currently such a somber event for Hermione, but after this year, things will be turning around.

. . . . .

Fate always had a sick way of twisting things in Hermione's life. Well, at least every once in a while she thought it did; especially on Halloween nights.

Until recently, she loved going back to her muggle hometown and experiencing the _"normal"_ things in life. Sometimes, the feeling of being a small child would return and the memories of old would flood her senses. It had been years, however, since she had been back to this town and experienced those welcoming and humble feelings.

Tonight, just like every Halloween night for the past five years, she sensed feelings of despair and in a way felt lost. October 31st was the only day out of the entire year that Hermione would visit her childhood home since her parents had died.

She honestly could not believe that it had been exactly five years since they had both died. She had gone through immense trouble to keep them safe during the last year of Voldemort's existence, only for them to be taken from her just two and a half years later.

Time felt like it was at a standstill as she stood in front of both her parents' graves, blankly staring at the letters on their gravestones. The sun had been in the process of setting on the horizon when she had first arrived that night, but any traces of its light were far from gone.

This year, Hermione wanted to visit the cemetery by herself, even at the constant urging from her husband that he should accompany her.

"_Just to make sure you're okay,"_ he kept telling her.

However, she kept insisting that she had been perfectly fine the past five times. She insisted that she could handle it on her own. Whether she had been convincing him or herself, she wasn't quite sure.

After what felt like days of standing on the soft grass, her knees finally moved and she was kneeling down while fighting back the tears. She lost the battle and they continuously streamed down her chilled cheeks.

The same thoughts of near regret were racing through her mind as she spoke softly to the ghosts of her parents. She told them again –even after having said it every time she visited– how sorry she was for leaving them behind for the magic of the wizarding world. She begged over and over again for them to forgive her if she had ever made them feel abandoned or forgotten.

"_I love you,"_ she had whispered as she continued mourning her parents.

Hermione had been through so much heartache, just like everyone else who experienced the battle at Hogwarts. However, she had also experienced much joy in her life as well, which was the main reason she wanted to visit her parents' ghosts alone.

She had always imagined that they would be the first ones to hear the news right after she would tell her husband. However, she had never known she would be telling their ghosts and then even to her surprise, before telling her husband.

"Mum… Dad…" she mumbled while wiping her heavy tears away. "I'm now 27 years old and you both had always talked about how I would be married and having children before this time."

She shuffled, trying to get comfortable again and the bottom of her coat rubbed even more into the dirt and grass.

"You both know that I've been married; the ceremony was just over two years ago, remember? I reassure you that everything has been working out most wonderfully between us. He still treats me as though I'm higher royalty than the Queen herself."

Hermione tried stifling a chuckle through her sniffles.

"Mainly, I am here to let you both know that he's going to have someone else in his life to treat royally."

There was a quick shuffle behind Hermione, but she was so engrossed in her conversation that she didn't notice.

"Dad. Mum. Both of you are going to be grandparents, even though you'll be here in spirit."

There were quiet footsteps approaching behind her and this time she heard the noises because instead of crying, she was smiling silently. She spun her head around ever so slightly to the left in time to see a lit up wand a flash of blond hair.

He knelt beside her and pulled her into a warm embrace.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you first, Draco," she said when he had been silent for a few minutes.

"Actually, this was the perfect way to find out," he replied, playing with the rings on her slender finger.

He stood up, pulling her up along with him and held her in a tight embrace.

Still holding each other, Hermione asked with a slight sense of anger in her voice, "Why did you come? I told you not to."

"Because, _love_, it's the simple fact that I love you and I was worried about you crying by yourself."

Her anger instantly faded because honestly, those were the nicest and most endearing words Hermione had ever heard from her husband. Even though they were married and she loved him very much as well, he was still a prat sometimes –okay, most of the time—and he still loved snide remarks.

"It's just like you to be sneaking around after me," she told him after they had let their embrace go and she grabbed his hand into hers. "But yes, you are going to be a dad to a little baby Malfoy."

"Just reassure me with one thing," he asked of her. She nodded. "Let's make Halloween another well celebrated holiday by taking the little Malfoy out for trick-or-treating and dressing_ him_ up as a debonair, wealthy business man." His smirk was just too much for her to take.

"Actually, we could dress _her _up as a pixie or a fairy since Little Malfoy will more than likely be a girl." She smiled back widely at him.

"No dear," he said in all seriousness. "She'll be a princess."

All of Hermione's despair instantly went away.


End file.
